Sri Lankan gov't condemns LTTE for killing 13 Navy soldiers (Xinhua) Updated: 2005-12-24 12:02
The Sri Lankan government has condemned in the strongest possible terms the
killing of 13 Navy soldiers by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
rebels on Friday. "It is clear that the claymore mine explosion had been
planned in a way to cause maximum casualties among the Security Forces." a
government statement issued Friday night said.
"The LTTE has from the very inception shown scant regard for the provisions
of the Ceasefire Agreement and these continued attacks raise serious doubts on
the LTTE's commitment to a political settlement," it added.
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake impressed upon the need for the
international community to take specific measures to ensure that the LTTE
desists from further escalating violence in the North and East and return to the
negotiating table.
The need to ensure the strict compliance with the ceasefire agreement not
only in word, but in deed as well was also highlighted, the release added.
As the continued provocations are deliberate attempts to create a back-clash
elsewhere in the country, the government called upon the public to remain calm
in the face of such provocations, it added.
The attack took place near Thalaimannar in the North province at around 2:00
p.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Friday.
A bus and a truck carrying sailors were moving along the Pesalai-Talaimannar
Road when it hit the claymore mine, Naval officials said.
The truck had escaped the blast while the bus which was carrying about 20
sailors got caught in the powerful explosion.
The attack came a day after the Sri Lankan government urged the international
community to exert pressure on the Tigers for their truce violations.
Early this month some 15 soldiers were killed in the northern city of
Jaffna in two separate claymore mine attacks, raising fears of returning to
war after a three-year-long cease-fire.
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